


Set in Stone

by nel_ani



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Bucky Barnes is Bad at Feelings, Fix-It, M/M, bucky barnes deserves good things, steve rogers deserves good things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-07
Updated: 2019-05-07
Packaged: 2020-02-27 21:00:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18747007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nel_ani/pseuds/nel_ani
Summary: He wanted to see Steve happy. Or not see him happy, in this case, he supposed.OrBucky is oblivious and Steve is patient.





	Set in Stone

He wasn't sure how he knew that Steve wasn't going to come back from the last trip through time. Something in the determined set of his mouth, maybe, or the faraway look he got in his eyes when he thought no one was looking. A lot had happened in the five years Bucky and the others had been gone, and most of it wasn't good. He could see it in the faces of all those who had survived Thanos’ decimation, the vague look of amazement every time they interacted with those formerly gone.

He'd seen it on Steve's face too, but he'd also seen the way he would look over his shoulder, for someone, and the renewed grief when he turned back. Romanoff was an open wound, even more so than Stark.

So it wasn't a huge leap to assume that Steve was going to attempt to reclaim something he'd lost in his life when the opportunity presented itself. Bucky understood. If there was one thing he'd learned through everything that had happened, it was lost chances. And Steve had a chance now, given to him on a silver platter.

It hurt, but he'd have Steve's back for this, too. He'd known since the war that they were meant for different paths. Steve was the symbol, the beacon everyone looked toward. Bucky had his back, but he'd never really believed there was a happy ending waiting for him after the war, even before Zola. He'd been given a shot at redemption, which was more than he deserved. He wanted to see Steve happy. Or not see him happy, in this case, he supposed.

Sam didn't seem to suspect anything, which made a certain amount of sense. Steve may buck against the rules, but his sense of duty was firm. Sam just wasn't thinking of what Steve would do once that duty was fulfilled, and it didn't get more fulfilled than returning reality shifting stones after saving the universe from a mad genocidal alien.

Sam also hadn't seen Peggy and Steve together. Their story was one for the history books, but it was one thing to read about lost love and tragedy, another to see them look at each other, like Bucky had. Being ignored by a pretty lady was one thing, but the way Steve had looked at her? Bucky had never seen Steve look at a woman the way he looked at Peggy Carter, and he'd been dragging him on double dates for most of their adult lives. He'd known where things were headed there and then, or where they would have gone without 65 years in the ice.

And now Steve had a chance to fix that, so of course he should. He deserved happiness, and while it would hurt, Bucky was never going to stand in the way of Steve's happiness.

Steve was picking up the case with the stones as he declined Sam's offer for company. Bucky pushed down a sense of panic at the thought of the long goodbye. Even if they did see each other again, it wouldn't be the same. He wouldn't get to see Steve grow old. Steve might die before Bucky. This could be the last time Bucky saw him.

He took a deep breath and walked over to Steve. Just one more push. For him.

Steve gave him a crooked smile. ”Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone.”

Bucky gave him a small smile back. ”How could I? You're taking all the stupid with you.”

They hugged and if Bucky held on a little longer than he should have... Well. Just one little thing, just for him.

He pulled back and looked at Steve. ”I'm gonna miss you, buddy.”

Steve smiled gently. ”It's gonna be okay, Buck.”

Bucky forced a smile on face and nodded. Then he watched as Steve picked up Thor's hammer. He vaguely heard Bruce saying something to Steve and Steve answering, but his pulse was thundering in his ears. Steve turned his head a little to look at Bucky. Then he was gone.

Bucky swallowed, and turned his back to the platform. Distantly, he heard, Bruce count down from five, and he waited for shocked exclamations as the machine made a noise at the end of the countdown.

Instead he heard Sam ask, ”Everything okay, man?” and unbelievably, he heard Steve's voice. ”Everything went without a hitch.”

He spun back around, heart pounding. Steve deactivated his helmet, looking at Bucky, an intent look on his face. Bucky frowned at him, looking him up and down as though that would tell him why Steve was here and not living his life in the past.

Steve stepped down from the platform and stopped in front of him. ”Okay, Buck?” he asked quietly.

”I thought...Peggy?” he said, like an idiot.

”I went to see her.” Steve smiled and looked down. ”It was so good to get a chance to talk to her again, when she would still remember me. Did you know she had two kids?” He looked up, eyes bright but no tears on his cheeks. ”I needed to see her again, to tell her. That she didn't have to worry about me, or be sad. That I got to live my life, too.”

Bucky's voice was hoarse. ”But...you could have been happy.”

A corner of Steve’s mouth quirked up. ”I still can be.”

”I don't understand.”

Steve huffed out a laugh, shaking his head and looking down briefly. ”Yeah, I know you don't.”

Bucky looked toward Sam and Bruce, but at some point when he hadn't noticed, they'd left. He looked back at Steve, who was watching him steadily.

When Bucky continued staring at him, Steve continued. ”I've been thinking a lot, about hanging up the shield.”

Bucky nodded dumbly. That much he'd figured as well.

”I think Sam would be great, he's got the heart for it, and I could be available for backup if he needs me. I could keep a communicator for emergencies.” He was still watching Bucky, and Bucky nodded again.

”I never got to see much of your house in Wakanda,” Steve then said, inexplicably.

Bucky blinked. ”My house.” Steve nodded. ”On my farm.”

”Yes.”

”In Wakanda.”

”For god's sake, Bucky,” Steve murmured and then he stepped forward and kissed Bucky. Bucky froze in shock before opening his mouth almost automatically. Steve kissed determinedly, possessive, his tongue in Bucky's mouth and nothing chaste about it. When he pulled back, he looked straight into Bucky's eyes. ”Clear enough for you?”

Bucky stared at him silently for a moment, heart beating hard for a different reason than before. Then, ”Crystal,” he said hoarsely and pushed Steve back against a tree, moving forward desperately, like Steve would come to his senses at any moment. His hands ran up Steve's shoulders, into his hair, cushioning his head against the tree. Steve breathed hard through his nose and weathered the onslaught, meeting him in the middle, where Bucky had always needed him.

An undetermined time later, they parted, breathing hard, Steve’s hands firm around Bucky’s hips. Still feeling vaguely shocked, Bucky regarded Steve's half-lidded eyes and smiling red mouth. ”I did not see this coming,” he said, bewildered.

”Yeah, well,” Steve said, looking at Bucky with a look on his face Bucky was sure he'd never seen directed at him, ”I had five years to think about regrets, and I figured that if I survived this thing, I wouldn't add any more with you.”

Unthinkingly, he ran the back of his left hand against Steve's cheek, and Steve's eyes drifted closed. Bucky stilled at the sight of the metal, but Steve didn't back away. ”I didn't think this was for me,” Bucky said quietly.

”No?” Steve murmured, eyes opening again.

Bucky shook his head.

”Well, good thing I'm the brains of the operation then.”

Slowly, Bucky started smiling, hard enough that his face started hurting. ”Punk.”

The corner of Steve's eyes crinkled as he returned the smile. ”Jerk.”

”Are you guys done yet?” Bucky looked over his shoulder toward Sam and Bruce, standing twenty feet away, Sam smirking and Bruce looking apologetic. ”Bruce needs his science stuff,” Sam said loudly.

”I don't need my science stuff,” Bruce shouted. ”Carry on.”

”What do you mean, 'carry on'?” Sam protested, ”I'm not going to watch!”

”You're the one who dragged me back here!”

Bucky turned around at the feeling of Steve shaking against him, and he smiled as he saw the laughter in Steve's eyes as Sam and Bruce continued to bicker behind them.

”Beginning to have second thoughts about who to give the shield to?”

Steve grinned. ”Maybe Bruce wants it.”

”You know,” Bucky said slowly, ”I don't actually still live in Wakanda anymore.”

Steve nodded. ”I'm sure T'Challa wouldn't turn you away.”

Bucky huffed out a laugh. ”I give it a month before you're bored.”

Steve smiled softly. ”Sounds good to me. We have time.”

**Author's Note:**

> So, that happened. Endgame made me post fic for the first time in literal years. O_O The movie left me with a lot of emotions and Steve's ending was one of those things I didn't agree with. I adore Peggy, but part of her story in Agent Carter was moving on from Steve, and Bucky has been such a huge part of Steve's story arc, to be a mere footnote before Steve went to live his life in another time? I don't think so. 
> 
> If it wouldn't have been overwhelmingly sappy, I would have brought Natasha back as well, but I feel that deserves its own fic. Whether I'll actually get around to writing that remains to be seen, but until then, the Nile isn't just a river in Egypt...


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